Car-mover



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. MERTSHEIMER.

(NoModel.)

GAR MOVER.

Patented Mag '3;0, 1893.

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as it appears in operative position.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MERTSHEIMER, OF CHEYENNE, WYOMING.

CAR-MOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,521, dated May 30, 1893.

Application led February 11,1893l Serial No. 461,960. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MERTs- HEIMER, of Cheyenne, county of Laramie, and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Movers, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to what are commonly known as car movers, which are employed for moving loaded or empty railroad cars or other heavy bodies a short distance over the track for the purpose of coupling them, or for other purposes.

My invention relates to various improvements in devices of this character combining lightness, durability and great strength, and designed to simplify the construction of the device as a whole and render its operation eiective and positive.

The invention also consists in the details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying draWings,-Figure `1 is a side elevation of myimproved car mover Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the same. Fig. 3`is a transverse section on the line a-a of Fig. 1. Fig. L is a section on the line b--b of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line c-c of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line cZ-d, of Fig. 1.

My improved device embodies a clamping head l, connected to an up'per bar or member 2, and adapted to be fastened to the carto be moved, a gripping foot 3, connected to a lower bar or member 4, and adapted to engage and bite the rail of the track, and an operating lever 5, adapted to move the upper bar and clamping head carried thereby longitudinally to effect the advance of the car. The clamping head comprises a horizontal block or easting 6, provided at its rear end with a vertical flange 7, adapted to fit against the rear face of the sill of the car, and is further provided with two depending ears 8 and 9, which are provided with openings to recove a horizontal clamping bolt 10. The forward end of this bolt is extended upward and provided with a head adapted to engage the front side of the sill of the car, while its rear end is threaded and provided with a nut 11, having an angular handle 12, by the' rotation of which the bolt may be moved longitudinally, and be caused to clamp the sill of the car tightly against the vertical flange on the block 6. By providing the nut with the angular handle, the latter will be permitted to be freely rotated, and will not be liable to encounter bolts or other obstructions on the sill adjacent to the point at which the clamping head is applied.

Between the two depending ears, the horizontal bolt is loosely encircled by a collar 13, which is provided with a depending lug 14, pivoted on a horizontal axis within a vertical slot formed in a casting or head 15, applied to the upper end of the,upper bar or member 2, which is preferably inthe form of commercial gas pipe. This bar is adapted to be moved longitudinally by the operating lever as more fully described hereinafter.

The horizontal and transverse bolts form a universal joint which permits the clamping head to be turned and inclined in any direction or at any angle to avoid bolts or other obstructions which might otherwise interfere with its proper attachment, and which also adapts it to be attached at different heights and to turn as required by the movement of the car to avoid straining or injuring the parts:

In order that the horizontal clamping bolt 10, may be maintained in such position in the block that its angular end will extend vertically so that it will at all times be ready to be applied to the car, I provide the opening in the rear lug 8, with a rib 18, arranged to loosely enter a groove formed in the bolt, the arrangement being such that the bolt will be permitted to slide longitudinally under the influence of a tightening nut, but will be prevented from turning around Within the depending ears.

The lower end of the rod 2, is threaded and screwed tightly into a plunger or slide 19, mounted loosely in a cylinder 20, iiXed to the upper end of the lower member, which is also preferably formed of commercial gas pipe. The lower end of this member isv jointed to the gripping foot 3, as more fully described hereinafter. three circumferential bearing surfaces which move in contact with the interior of the cylinder, the friction between the parts being thus reduced to a minimum. At opposite The plunger 19, is formed with sides it is provided with laterally projecting pins 2l, extending through slots 22, in the sides of the cylinder, on which pins are journaled friction rollers 23, arranged to enter slots 24, formed in crank arms 25, on the end of the operating lever. The crank arms are arranged with a space between them so that their slotted ends will extend along the sides of the cylinder, and on opposite sides of two lugs 26, projecting upward from the cylinder, the said parts being connected bya horizontal through-bolt 27, conlined by cutters as shown. Under this arrangement it will be seen that if the lever be moved rearward the crank arms moving in the opposite direction, will carry the slide with them, and thereby advance the rod and clamping head longitudinally and consequently move the car.

The operating lever is formed as represented in Figs. l and 2, with the slotted arms at one end and at the other end a socket 28 for the reception of the end of the reversible handle 5 which, when in place forms an extension of the lever. The handle is preferably formed of a section of commercial gas pipe, and has its end seated in the socket 28, to which the two crank arms are rigidly attached, the said pipe being removably confined within "the socket by a clamping screw 29. The opposite end of the lever is bent into angular form so that when it is reversed, and the angular end inserted in the collar, the handle will extend in a nearly upright position. This arrangement will admit of the operation of the lever between cars which are but a slight distance apart. The gripping foot 3, before alluded to is provided with four rearwardly inclined legs between which the rail of the track is gripped. These legs are provided with knife eges formed by beveling their edges rearwardly so that the greater the pressure which is brought to bear upon the foot, the greater will be the gripping force on the rail. i This foot is formed preferably from a single piece of metal by cutting away its rear end to leave two projecting portions, and by forming in its opposite end two oblique incisions, the portion of the blank between the incisions being turned back upon the under side of the body portion as shown, leaving two projecting portions similar to those at the opposite end of the plate. These four projecting portions are then bent downward as shown, and their edges are beveled backward. The gripping foot is connected to the lower end of the lower member 4, through the medium of a inger30, which has one end seated in the end .of said lower member, and has its opposite end provided with a vertical opening formed with downwardly and inwardly sloping sides which opening is adapted to receive a vertical bolt 3l, located near the forward end of the foot, and extending upward through the inwardly turned portion of the plate forming the foot, and through the upper side of the sam e,-the bolt being confined in the opening in the finger by a cotter extending through advantage in that the foot will, when the device is drawn forward, be carried in an inclined position, the forward end being slightly elevated owing to the preponderance of weight of the rear end on account of the location of the bolt by which it is connected to the iinger, the result being that the knife edges will not move in contact with the sides of the rail and become worn as they would otherwise do if the foot were moved along in a horizontal position. This movement of the foot with respect to the iinger is also of advantage when, on account of the difference in the heights of the cars to which the device is applied, the members will occupy varying angles, in which case were the foot connected rigidly, it could not accommodate itself to the different positions of the two members, and consequently could not effectually grip the rail. Further, it is possible under the arrangement set forthv to apply the clamping head to the sill out of line with the two members in cases where bolts or other obstructions would prevent the application of the head in line with said members.

In order that the foot may be prevented from moving laterally with respect to the linger to an objectionable extent, I provide the rear end of the finger with a notch 32, within which a vertical pin 33 fixed to the foot eX- tends, the construction of the parts being such that but aslight lateral movement of the foot will be permitted.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is- 1. In a car mover the combination of the two bars arranged in line, the cylinder slotted longitudinally at opposite sides and attached to one bar, the plunger carried by the other bar and located within the cylinder, the operating lever pivoted to the cylinder and provided with the slotted arms projecting on opposite sides of the cylinder, and the projections on the plunger extending through the slots in the cylinder and engaging in the slots in the arm.

2. In a car mover the combination of the lower bar provided at its lower end with a gripping foot to engage the rail, the cylinder at its upper end provided on opposite sides with longitudinal slots, the upper bar provided at its upper end with means for engaging the car, the plunger at the lower end of the upper bar located in the cylinder, the operating lever pivoted to the cylinder and provided with two slotted crank arms extending on opposite sides of the cylinder, and the rollers carried by the plunger and engaging in the slots in the crank arms.

3. In a car mover the combination of the two members adapted to engage respectively IIO the track and the ear and movable relatively to each other in alongitudinal direction, with an operating lever fulcrumed on one of said members and engaging the other, and the reversible angular handle.

4. In a car mover the combination with the upper and lower members adapted at their ends to engage respectively the car and the track and movable relatively longitudinally, the pivoted operating lever movable longitudinally of the two members and provided with a socket extending parallel with said members, and the reversible handle for said lever provided with the angular bent end adapted to enter the socket.

5. In acar mover the combination with the lower member provided with avertical opening and notch, of the gripping foot having the .v

vertical bolt extending loosely in said opening, and the pin engaging in the notch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 16th day of January, A. D. 1893, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

FREDERICK MERTSHEIMER.

Witnesses:

A. ADAMSKEY,

JOHN E. THOMAS. 

